Friday, November 11, 2016

Funda Diken Turkey on her muaythai path to university

Funda Diken, Turkey - I took this photograph just after she won silver at the muaythai EMF / IFMA European Championships, but you can see from her face that she's more thinking she lost gold.

We spoke later, and she said:

Thanks to my success in muaythai I’ve had the privilege of going to university. I feel the sport has done so much for me physically and spiritually.

I started muaythai quite late at 21. At first they said I was female and fragile but I insisted. Just decide on something for yourself, and you can do it.

My dad used to watch martial arts films with me, this made me interested and I used to pretend fight with my friends! Now I’ve had 300 amateur fights.

Now I’m a physical education school teacher. Because of muaythai I have full trust in myself , feel very confident and so happy about how people treat me. I get many nice compliments which I believe I owe to muaythai!

When I travelled abroad I saw muaythai is not only a male sport; there are many female fighters. And there are even females who perform better muaythai than men!

Some people say women must not fight. I believe this is because they themselves lack courage. If someone tells me I shouldn't fight; I answer them by continuing to fight better and trying for more success.